pay it forward

My daughter-in-law is doing this pay it forward activity. This is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to leave a comment on my blog, you have to post this on your blog first. (That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.) Get it? So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones! Good Luck!

angels

Sarah Ban Breathnach says, “We are born to love certain souls into full being, unconditionally. Certain souls are born to love us the same way. Some we give birth to, others we meet on the playground, at a workshop, in the office, on a blind date. We turn toward some, we turn away from others. Our choice—to walk toward or turn away from—becomes our destiny, our deeply personal love story.”

I believe that walking toward those who love us elevates us. For if God is love, then loving and being loved is a Godly thing and only draws us closer to that ultimate source of light and love. Love is a gift, a gift of the very best kind; those who come into our lives for us to love, or to love us, are gifts from God.

"When during sad times an angel should come to you, open your eyes and see who that angel is, for that is your one true love."

never let go

Love is a hand
you hold in the dark
and smile
and tease
and want to kiss,
but only when you’re there,
it’s harder when you’re gone.

When talking,
we compare our experiences
and measure our maturity
by how long we can go
without saying goodbye.

For a moment
all is smooth,
then fortune creeps
her silky head
and modifies
our best-laid plans.

What memory savors
distance dims,
but constantly
we spend our moments
reaching out
always vowing to ourselves
this is the hand
we’ll never let go.

by Harold Maddocks

the same path

I have told my sons that a necessary ingredient to a successful marriage is that the couple are on the same path to the same destination. I've discovered that "happily ever after" isn't a simple thing to achieve. These other thoughts also apply:

"If it is not mutual it isn't love."Bruce Kravetz

“The value of marriage is to be gauged by the joy it affords, not by its longevity.”
Nathaniel Branden

nurturing

Nathaniel Branden describes nurturing this way:

“To nurture another human being is to accept him or her unreservedly; to respect his or her sovereignty and integrity; to support his or her growth and self-actualization needs; and to CARE, on the deepest and most intimate level, about his or her thoughts, feelings, and wants. It is to create a context and environment in which a person can live and flourish. To nurture another human being means to accept that person as he or she is, and yet to believe in possibilities within that person still unrealized. It is to be honest with that person about our own needs and wants, always to remember that the other person does not exist merely to satisfy our needs and wants. It means to express confidence in the person’s strengths and internal resources, and yet be available to offer help when it is asked for (and sometimes to recognize that it might be needed even when it is not being asked for). It is to create a context in which the person can experience that he or she MATTERS, that the expression of thoughts and feelings will be welcomed, and yet to understand that there are times when what our partner needs is silence and aloneness. To nurture is to caress and stroke, without making demands; to hold and protect; to allow tears and to offer comfort. To nurture someone we love is to nurture the child within that adult person, and to accept the child a valid part of who that person is. To nurture is to love not only our partner’s strength but also his or her fragility, not only that within our partner which is powerful but also that which is delicate.”

it can't be denied...

"True love cannot be found where it does not exist, nor can it be denied where it does."

Valentine's Day cries out for chocolate. A Valentine tradition in our home is Chocolate Soufflé. It is easier than you may think, so surprise someone you love!

*Butter a 6-cup soufflé dish (we use 8 individual ramekin dishes, instead) and coat with 1 Tbsp sugar.

*In a medium bowl combine:
½ C cocoa
¼ C flour.
*Add:
¼ C butter, softened
*blend well. Set aside.

*In a medium saucepan heat until very hot:
1 C milk
*Reduce heat and add cocoa mixture, beating with a wire whisk until smooth and thick.
Remove from heat and add:
½ C sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
*Add:
4 egg yolks, beating well after each
*Cool to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 2 tsp. sugar and continue beating until stiff. Stir a small amount of the whites into the chocolate mixture then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whites. Carefully pour into the prepared dish(es). Bake at 350 degrees 40-45 minutes until puffed (30-35 minutes for individual soufflés). Serve immediately with ice cream.

A White Rose

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
Oh, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud,
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.

John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1890)